When contacted yesterday, the rugby union international confirmed he was thinking about a return to the NRL.

“I do still want to continue playing football – the body feels good,” Cross said.

“Definitely rugby league has always been close to my heart and I’ve grown up with it. It was never really something that I considered I would go back to, but now that I’ve been back in Sydney for 12 months it’s a big possibility.

“Obviously, my dad played at the Tigers – and I was a supporter as a kid – so hopefully something can be worked out.”

Cross is also being pursued by rugby union clubs in the UK and France.